Gungho announced that the Grandia HD Collection, which consists of Grandia 1 and 2, will come to the PS4 and Xbox One. People will be able to get it digitally on March 26, 2024.

This collection already appeared worldwide back in 2019 for two platforms. People can already pick it up on the Nintendo Switch and PC. As a reminder, Gungho announced back at launch that this is a definitive version that uses the PlayStation version’s code and Saturn references. After launch, it was ed by the company and ended up getting fixes and Japanese language .

Here’s the first trailer for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. It began by showing some of the requests Gungho received for the ports. Then, it went on to show footage from Grandia and Grandia 2.

There will also be physical copies of Grandia HD Collection. Limited Run Games will handle that part of it. The retail release doesn’t have an exact release window yet, but people can place an order for a copy with the company on March 15, 2024.

Grandia and Grandia 2 will come to the PS4 and Xbox One in Grandia HD Collection on March 26, 2024. It is immediately available on the Switch and PC. 

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Among the Limited Run Games announcements was one involved Grandia. The company will put together a Grandia HD Collection physical release for the Nintendo Switch. Orders will open up on August 7, 2020.

Here’s the announcement tweet.

Grandia HD Collection from @GungHo_America gets a Limited Run for the Nintendo Switch on August 7. #LRG3 pic.twitter.com/UQWeJ3bOM1

— Limited Run @ LRG3: TODAY at 3pm ET (@LimitedRunGames) July 8, 2020

As a reminder, Grandia HD Collection gives people both Grandia and Grandia II. Both games feature updated graphics, widescreen presentations, and other modern conveniences. Following its launch, an additional update with different bug fixes and performance adjustments was also released.

Grandia HD Collection physical copies will be be available to order on August 7, 2020. The game is also available on the PC.

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A new way to hear the Grandia soundtrack is coming this summer. Wayô Records has announced it will release new versions of the soundtrack and a music box that plays the game’s main theme in Summer 2020. Preorders are open for all products, giving people a chance to bring the music home on CDs, records, or in a tiny wooden box. 

There will be three different ways to pick up the Grandia soundtrack. If someone gets the €30 (~$32) CDs, they’ll have a five-disc collection with 80 songs in Summer 2020. This includes the four soundtrack CDs, the out-of-print Vent arrange album, and a 20 page booklet with art and commentary. The first 25 preorders will also include character designer Toshiaki Hontani’s new illustration on a mini-Shikishi.

Should someone go with the Grandia Memorial Soundtrack, they’ll get a briefer version of the soundtrack on vinyl. The €60 (~$65) version will be on mint-green records. The €67.20 (~$73) Collector’s Edition will be printed on marble green records and be limited to 500 units. In the case of both versions, the first two records will have 22 songs from the original soundtrack and the third album will have nine songs from the out-of-print Vent arrange album. Both will also include the same booklet as the CD soundtrack.

Here's a sample of songs from the release.

As for the Grandia Music Box, only 250 total will be made, sold, and shipped in Summer 2020. Each one is made of Maple/Sapele wood and has the spirits on the cover. When wound up and opened, it plays the game’s main theme. Everyone who purchases one, which costs €252 (~$275), will also receive a of the score with the autograph of the composer, Noriyuki Iwadare, on it.

In addition to the Grandia-focused items, there will also be a tribute to Iwadare arriving in Summer 2020. Iwadare was not only the composer for Grandia and Lunar: The Silver Star, but prepared music for series like Ace Attorney and Langrisser. Twelve Doors: Tribute to Noriyuki Iwadare will have Benyamin Nuss on piano and Shauno Isomura on violin performing both new and old music from the composer. (The new track is “Overcome.”) There will be twelve songs total on this album, taken from Grandia, Grandia II, Grandia Xtreme, Langrisser, Lunar, Lunar II, and even Amagami. The CD will be €20 (~$22), while the vinyl version will be €30 (~$32).

The Wayô Records Grandia CD set, records, and music box will be released in Summer 2020.

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The Grandia HD Remaster PC version will launch a little later than planned. While its Steam product page originally had a tentative September 2019 release window, GungHo Online Entertainment took to Twitter to confirm its new release date will be October 15, 2019.

This is to help ensure the Grandia HD Remaster PC version is stronger at launch. When the company announced the game’s release date for the platform, it noted that this slight delay was due to a desire to have that release include improvements that will be a part of the Nintendo Switch Grandia HD Collection patch.

In addition to the PC release date, GungHo Online Entertainment revealed when the major Grandia HD Collection Nintendo Switch patch will be released. On November 12, 2019, people will see major changes to the games. However, the company didn’t note any of the exact issues that will be fixed.

Grandia HD Remaster will be available on PCs on October 15, 2019. Grandia HD Collection is immediately available for the Nintendo Switch and Grandia II HD Remaster can be found on the PC.

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JRPGs from the late 1990s can develop a bit of a reputation. It was when Square Enix had Final Fantasy VII have 3D characters in 2D rendered environments. Tales of Destiny relied largely on 2D, though it did have a 3D overworld. Then, there was Grandia, a game that blended incredibly detailed 2D sprites, 3D environments and different kinds of activity and story beats that were unique for the time and even still a bit fresh now. It was great back then and now, having it in Grandia HD Collection on the Nintendo Switch, reminds people of why it is still such a great game.

Compared to Grandia II, Grandia hasn’t appeared on as many platforms as often. So, one of the things it has going for it in Grandia HD Collection is exposure. If someone didn’t play it on the PlayStation in 1999 or 2000 outside of Japan, odds are that they missed it. (Meanwhile, the sequel kept showing up on platforms.) Having less exposure to the story helps it out. So does the manner in which the story is handled. This is a coming of age story about a young man who has a dream about becoming an adventurer, gets the chance to pursue it after finding an artifact, then gets caught up in international intrigue and saving the world. The difference here is a genuine sense of innocence that Justin has as he sets out on his adventure. He begins as a kid playing with friends, treating wooden swords as Spirit Swords.

While he always retains that sense of adventure and kindness, we see him grow as he is exposed to other adventurers and learns about the history of his world. It is new to him, so it is new to us. He can end up saving his “idol.” But, before that, we’ll get to see him scour streets and the area near a canal for a key to a rival’s “treasure.” His dialog responses reflect this as well. Which is another thing that was novel then and still feels fresh now. We get to make decisions for Justin and, while it could be a situation where picking a wrong answer means just revisiting the conversation and picking the right option, it still fits well with the game and adds to the immersion.

Speaking of immersion, Grandia still looks great even at over 20 years old. The HD remaster really cleaned things up, so the UI is crisp and easy to read. The character portraits look amazing. The 2D sprites are wonderfully done. Especially since there are so many for unique circumstances that you would really only see once in the game. When Justin and Sue need to look for Gantz’ key, they actually crawl around the street looking for it. When they head on a ship to the New World, there is a moment where Justin is despondent below decks, and both his icon and character sprite change to reflect his current disposition. Even if you aren’t reading along, you can see how he is feeling from the slump of his shoulders and tilt of his head. The textures for the 3D environments and items also look fantastic in HD. Their simplicity makes them pop, and the elaborate sprites fit well in this world and keep it from looking dated.

Even the battle system feels really ahead of its time. It had an active element, as you could always see who was up to act next at the bottom of the screen. You would have characters use certain weapons and abilities to build them up to act in certain roles in the field. Characters might not always be around, due to people having other obligations or the story taking them away for the moment. It is a system that forces you to think about what roles you might need people to take, what their natural tendencies seem to be, and when you need to prioritize certain sorts of actions.

Grandia is a classic RPG, and Grandia HD Collection gives more people a chance to see it. It makes it prettier than it has been in years. It lets different gameplay elements, such as character advancement that takes their actions into and story elements with unique actions, shine.

Grandia HD Collection is available for the Nintendo Switch. Grandia HD Remaster will come to the PC on September 2019.

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  GungHo Online Entertainment has offered an update on what will and won’t be available in Grandia HD Collection at launch. One of the expected subtitle options will not be immediately available. People will have to wait for a patch to add Japanese subtitles to the compilation that includes HD versions of Grandia and Grandia II. When the game was announced, English, French, German, and Japanese subtitles were confirmed.   The good news is, this will only affect subtitles. The company confirmed that both English and Japanese voice acting will be present in Grandia HD Collection at launch.   Grandia HD Collection will make its Nintendo Switch debut on August 16, 2019. A release date for the patch that will add Japanese subtitles was not announced.

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Grandia and Grandia II are coming to the Nintendo Switch sooner than people might expect. Grandia HD Collection will be coming to the console on August 16, 2019. This will give people a chance to play Grandia HD Remaster and Grandia II HD Remaster at any time on the go in HD and with UI updates, Japanese and English voice acting, and for English, French, German, and Japanese subtitles.

Grandia is the story of a young man named Justin. After finding an odd relic at an archeological dig, he decides to follow its instructions and take the first steps toward becoming an adventurer like his father. He ends up heading off with friends to the city of Alent, but this artifact is something others want and the group is being pursued by dangerous faces.

Grandia II follows Ryudo, a mercenary who is supposed to escort Elena, a songstress, to a tower for a ritual. As part of it, Elena ands up possessed by Millennia, a woman who is the manifestation of a piece of Valmar that now shares her existence with Elena. The trio and their party must deal with the pieces of Valmar and a fight against a force that threatens the whole world.

Grandia HD Collection will come to the Nintendo Switch on August 16, 2019. Grandia II HD Remaster is already available on the PC, though it was originally known as Grandia II Anniversary Edition. Grandia HD Remaster does not yet have a PC release date.

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  At E3 2019, GungHo Online Entertainment offered some insight into the Nintendo Switch and PC versions of the Grandia HD remaster. It turns out, the games are using the PlayStation code with insight and details from the Sega Saturn version to help make the “definitive version” of the game. (Thanks, RPGSite!)   Here is the statement GungHo Online Entertainment gave to RPGSite.

We want to be clear, the Grandia HD Collection are not ports of the original PlayStation games, they are remasters. We are using the original PlayStation code of Grandia, but working with the Sega Saturn version to craft the definitive version of this beloved RPG. The team is primarily using the Saturn version as a reference point, working to match details and effects from that version of the game.

  Grandia originally appeared on the Sega Saturn in 1997 in Japan, with the PlayStation version arriving in North America and Europe in 1999 and in Europe in 2000. The Sega Saturn version is known for having better graphics, shorter loading times, and an improved frame rate.   Here is Grandia HD Collection E3 2019 gameplay.     Grandia HD Collection and Grandia HD Remaster will come to the Nintendo Switch and PC “very soon” and will launch on the same day. Grandia II Anniversary Edition is immediately available for PCs. The original Grandia appeared on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Grandia II showed up on the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PC.

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  GungHo Online Entertainment has offered an update on the HD remaster of the original Grandia. The company has revealed that both the Nintendo Switch and PC will get games on the same day. People with PCs will get Grandia HD Remaster, while Nintendo Switch owners will be able to pick up Grandia HD Collection, which will contain the first and second games.   An exact date beyond “coming soon” has not been announced for both Grandia HD Collection and Grandia HD Remaster. However, it will be among the four announced games at E3 2019 and more information has been promised about the compilation and remaster at the event.   In addition, GungHo Online offered a summary of the additions available in Grandia HD Remaster and Grandia II HD Remaster. (As a reminder, the sequel was originally released on PCs as Grandia II Anniversary Edition, but the name will be changed.) Both of the games will have Japanese and English audio to choose from. The cinematics will be enhanced and the UI, sprites, and textures will be updated. There will be English, French, German, and Japanese translations available for both games. In addition, the PC versions will have Steam trading cards and achievements, as well as remappable controls for Grandia HD Remaster, on PCs. The PC version will also allow you to play in widescreen and adjust the resolution.   Grandia II Anniversary Edition is immediately available for PCs. The original Grandia appeared on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Grandia II showed up on the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PC.

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